Friday, September 17, 2010

The Philosophy of Body Art

The Philosophy of Body ArtTattoos are considered cool or frowned upon depending on your point of view. A person with a tattoo is considered a maverick. The best example of this is the problems people with visible tattoos have in getting jobs. Note that I said visible. If you have a tattoo on your chest or back that is covered with clothing, the unseen tattoo will not become a factor in your chances to get a job. Most people overcome this by getting tattoos they can conceal during working situations and flaunt in social situations. People that get tattoos regard themselves as part of a separate community, with the tattoos as the ink that binds them.

Within the tattoo community there are two factions - the outsiders and the purists. These factions are not rival groups but hardcore or elite and then the amateurs. The elite believe that a tattoo should be created for a reason. There is a quote about tattoos that goes 'Show me a man with a tattoo and I'll show you a man with an interesting past'. A tattoo is supposed to have a story behind it. A tattoo that does not celebrate or commemorate a moment of your life is not considered a real tattoo but a decoration by the elite tattoo community.